Car-coupling



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

ARTHUR H. ARMsTRONC, OE PLAINVILLE, CONNECTICUT.

cAR-couPLlNe.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 294,345, dated March. 4, 1884.

' Application filed .I une 12, 1883. (N o model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern.- I

Be it known that I, ARTHUR H. ARM- STRONG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Blainville, vin the oounty'of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car- Couplings, of which the i'ollowingis a specification'.

My invention relates to an improvement upon couplings of the class described in my Patent No. 274,893, of April 3, 1883, and relates more particularly to the manner of holding the link, so as to have it always ready for use, and in the manner of constructing the parts which are adapted to receive the drawing y strain; and the objects of my invention are to so connect the link with the coupling that it shall always be in readiness for use; to so construct the parts that they may be more cheaply arranged and put together, and so that the drawing strain comes in a direct line with the the link. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichd p Figure 1 is a side elevation of a pair of my couplings properly connected together. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a single coupling. Fig. 3

is a vertical section thereof, partly in side elevation, the plane of'section being indicated by the line .fr x of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a central vertical section of the link and link-holding bail. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a pair of couplings with only one feature of my present improvement attached theretonamel y, thelinkholder. Fig. Gis a plan view of one of said 2 couplings, and Fig. 7 is a central vertical section of the link and link-bail.

The main head Aandthe supplementary head B, with exceptions hereinafter noted, are substantially the same as the main and supplementary heads shown and described in my former patent, hereinbefore named, and the tilting action ofthe supplementary lhead is substantiallythe same as thereindescribed.

nions b, upon which the supplementary head tilts when its outer end is depressed. Just within the side walls of the main head A, I arrange inwardly-projecting cheeks c, having trunnion-recessesl within them, as shown most clearly in Fig. 3, and which recesses receive the trunnions d at the inner end of the supplementary head B. These cheeks and trunnions receive the draft of the cars, and the supplementary head B tilts upon said trunnions when its outer end is lifted. These latter trunnions d are lower down than the trunnions b, and are substantially in the same plane as the link-receiving recess of the head B. By

this construction of the heads A and B thev parts can be readily formed separately, and they are properly connected by merely dropping the supplemental headBwithin the main head A. Upon the sides ofthe supplemental.

head B, I form cheeks e, (see Fig. 3,) within which-is the longitudinal groove f, left open at its inner end, as clearly shown in said Fig. 3. This slot j' is for the purpose of receiving the inwardly-projecting trunnions g, Fig. 4, at the ends of the swinging bail 71., said bail having connected to its swinging end the couplinglink k, the same being secured within the crossarm of the bail by means ofthe pinm. When the supplementary head B is lifted out of the main head A, the trunnions g of this bail h can be readily slipped into the slot f and carried -into the position shown in Fig.r3. After the head B is placed within the head A, this bail cannot be detached therefrom without removing the head B. In order to bring the link k into position for use, the bail is swung from the position represented in Fig. 3 up-into a horizontal position, as indicated by the broken lines in Fig. 2, the 'sliding motion of the link within the cross-piece of the bail h and-the length ofthe link being sufiicient to enable the bail, with the link attached, to swing by the lower outercorner of the head B. The bail is then pushed inward into the position represented for the bail of the right-hand coupling in' Fig. 1, and the link is then slid within the cross-piece of the bail into thelinkreceiving recess, and secured therein by the coupling-pin a. The bail and link for the companion coupling will remain hanging in their y `pendulous position, as shown upon the lefthand coupling in said Fig. l. By these' means IOO the coupling-link is always at hand, ready to be brought into aetion when desired, or, when two couplings of this kind are employed, one of the links may be allowed to remain in its pendulous position. The middle of the slot f, in which the bail h is mounted, is in t-he same longitudinal plane as the middle of the linkreceiving recess, and thereby the link need not have any swinging motion or play in a vertical direction within the cross-piece ofthe bail, as it will always be in longitudinal alignment with the axis of the bail.

In Figs. 5, G, and 7 l have represented the swinging bail l1 as having slotted arms, and as secured upon the trunnions b', said bail having secured to its cross-piece the link la, for use in the manner hereinbe'fore described; but inasmuch as the trunnions b are slightly above the link-receiving recess, it is necessary to give the link alittle vertical play within the crosspieee of the bail. The swinging bail in this modiiication comes upon the outside of the main head A, instead of the inside, as rst described; but when once secured its action in connection with Ithe supplementary head B is substantially the same as the bail l1, herein first described.

I am aware that a prior patent shows a longitudinally sliding and swinging bail for a coupling, over which bail the ordinary link rests, but without being secured to said bail, and the same is hereby diselaimed.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination of the main head A, having trunnion-reecsscs (l. at its outer end,

and the cheeks c upon the inside at its inner end, with the supplementary head B, having trunnions b and d, thelatter of which receives the drawing strain, substantially as described, and for the purpose spcciiied.

2. rlhe combination of the coupling, the longitudinally sliding and swinging bail, and the coupling-link secured within the crossarm of said bail, substantially as described, and for the purpose speeilied.

3. The combination of the supplementary head B, having side cheeks, c, the longitudinal slotf, and the swinging bail h, carrying link 7c, and having inwardlyprojecting trunnions g, for engagement with the slotj', substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

4. The combination oi' the main head A, supplementary head B, and the sliding and swinging bail carrying the coupling-link, 'substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

The combination of the main head A, supplementary head B, the bail carrying the coupling-link, and means located within the walls of the main head for guiding the inner end of the bail longitudinally, and also allowing it to swing freely within said walls, whereby the bail is protected from injury, all substantially as described, and for the purpose speeiiied.

ARTHUR H.

W'itnesses:

J AMES SHEPARD, E. F. TouLTNsoN, J r.

ARMSTRONG. 

